Tax Season Identity Theft Features Preposterous Impostors

As if the burden of doing your taxes wasn't enough, the FTC reports there's an uptick in theft of consumers' tax IDs, especially with the popularity of online filing. In fact complaints about crooks impersonating IRS officials rose by 24 times in 2014, compared to 2013. How does it work, and are you at risk of getting bilked? Some thieves simply steal a consumer's tax ID by filing a fraudulent tax return and using a consumer's Social Security number to get a refund. Other scams happen by phone. An alarm should go off if you get a phone call from the IRS demanding that you owe money. Ross Kenneth Urken explains ways to protect yourself.